Auld Lang Syne
by roslinadama-sinequanon
Summary: It's New Year's Eve and Sharon and Andy celebrate with friends at a Gatsby-style party on the Queen Mary, then enjoy a relaxing New Year's Day together. Just a quick little fluff, finishing up the first year of the Shandy marriage.


"Sharon, you almost ready? Don't forget, we have to pick up Provenza and Patrice." It was New Year's Eve and Andy by default was the designated driver.

"I'm coming." Sharon spritzed a little Black Opium on her wrists, her neck, and, what the hell, her cleavage for good measure. After one last look in the floor length mirror on the door of her walk-in closet, she slipped on elbow length gloves, grabbed her purse, and stepped out into the bedroom.

"Andy." His name came out rather breathless. Her sexy as sin husband was leaning against the fireplace in a pose meant to allure. And it did. His light brown suit, plaid check vest, and dark brown bow tie were stylish and dapper, and as she approached him, her insides did a little butterfly dance at the twinkle in the rich depths of his velvet brown eyes. "You look like you just stepped out of 'The Great Gatsby'."

"Well, uh, that was plan…right." He could barely speak, his tongue felt thick and he could not stop staring. If he looked like something out of the pages of 'Gatsby' than Sharon, in her vintage 1930's gold lame gown, a liquid satin that clung to every curve before spilling sensuously about her long legs, was the glamorous epitome of a Golden Era movie star. She smiled at the jaw-dropping look he was giving her and twirled around, giving him a view of the plunging back.

"You like?" She asked.

"You really have to ask?" He stepped forward sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her in tight. "You sure we have to go to this party?"

Sharon shivered as he began nuzzling along her neck. The man did know her weak spots. But, she pulled back with a throaty little giggle before he got too carried away. "We paid an arm and a leg for these tickets, we're going."

"Okay. Okay."

Provenza's response when he saw the two of them in shades of gold and brown was to roll his eyes. "Eh Gods, do you two always match?"

Patrice shook her head. "Don't listen to him, you both look stunning."

"You too, Patrice," Andy kissed her cheek. "You, on the other hand." He gave a glance at Provenza, who had done nothing but grumble about having to a New Years Eve party. "You look like Edward G. Robinson."

"A mighty fine actor. I'll take that as a compliment," Provenza huffed.

The party was on The Queen Mary, docked in Long Beach. Each deck and ballroom had a differently themed celebration. They planned to attend the Art Deco era festivities. Stepping onto the huge ocean liner, now a hotel/tourist attraction really was like a journey back in time. And, when they walked into the Grand Salon, decorated in rich black and shimmering gold, the centerpieces dripping with feathers and pearls, and a jazz band playing in the corner, they were transported back to the 1920s and 30's when speakeasies and jazz were all the rage and Hollywood was in its heyday. Also joining them for the evening were Gavin and his partner Elliott, it was Gavin who had convinced Sharon to get tickets for the event, and Sharon's good friend Rachel and her husband Jim.

They enjoyed a tasty, elegant dinner, and then spent the night dancing to big band swing music. Well, some of them of them anyway. Andy could really cut a rug and Sharon loved to dance, so they were out on the dance floor all night. Provenza refused to get near the floor unless it was a "slow one" but, thanks to Andy, Gavin, Elliott, and Jim, Patrice was not short on dance partners.

At the countdown to midnight, cheers filled the air and balloons dropped from the ceiling. Sharon wrapped her arms around Andy's neck, pulling his face closer to hers.

"Happy New Year, baby," he said.

"Happy New Year." They grinned at each other like the sappy newlyweds they still were, then kissed in 2019.

Afterward, while the band played 'Auld Lang Syne', everyone sang along, then moved out onto the deck to watch a dazzling fireworks display over the water, with the glittering lights of LA off in the distance.

Sharon snuggled back against Andy with a little shiver. The wind was cool off the water. Feeling her chill, Andy slipped off his suit coat and wrapped it around her bare shoulders. She gave him a smile of gratitude and then gazed off at the bright bursts of color in the sky. For many years, New Year's Eve had been bittersweet for her. She was happy enough in her life, even happier once she had gotten the job in Major Crimes. But, after her children had left home, there had always been a feeling that maybe her best years were behind her. Not anymore. She could look back nostalgically on the previous year, but she had nothing but excitement for the new year ahead and the things she and her husband had planned.

With the fireworks display over, they returned inside and made their way to the Promenade Café where a midnight breakfast buffet had been laid out to help them refuel after all that dancing. Sharon chose a mimosa with a couple slices of French toast, while Andy had straight orange juice and a veggie omelet. They both had bowls of vanilla yogurt with the house-made granola.

"All that food and you choose yogurt and granola." Provenza grimaced and shuddered as he sat down.

Andy eyed his friend's plate. "Better than that heart attack on a plate."

"He's right, Louis." Patrice shook her head at the pile of biscuits and sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes that filled her husband's plate. "You're never going to be able to sleep tonight after eating all that."

"Well, it will be worth it." Provenza dug into his biscuit and chewed with gusto.

By the time they finished eating, dropped Patrice and Provenza off at home, and then continued up the coast, Sharon and Andy did not get home until well after 2:00 am. Exhausted, they slept in late New Years Day, enjoyed some lazy cuddle time, and then had a simple breakfast of buttery croissants, fruit, and coffee out on the sun porch. Feeling a little more refreshed after their coffee and showers, they changed into jeans and sweatshirts and made the quarter-mile walk down the hill to the beach. It was low tide and they walked along the hard-packed sand, hand in hand, seagulls diving and cawing overhead. After about a mile, they stopped near an outcropping of rocks and sat in the soft sand, watching the waves crash into the rocks and enjoying the feel of the January sun on their faces. Sharon laid her head against Andy's shoulder, enjoying the peace and tranquility. She loved their walks on the beach. They stayed that way for quite a while until dark clouds started to move in and it looked like they might be in for a shower.

Back at the house, they took down the Christmas tree that had been up since the weekend after Thanksgiving. Christmas was Sharon's favorite holiday and she always tried to hang on to it for as long as possible. For her, Christmas started the day after Thanksgiving and didn't end until New Years Day. When the kids had left for college and she'd moved into the condo, it had been easier to have a fake tree-though she always sprayed it with that pine scent because what was a tree without its scent. This year, in their big new house, they had bought a giant live fir, and even though they had had the guy at the tree farm make a fresh cut, and Sharon had faithfully kept the tree watered, it was still clearly time to take it down. While Andy dragged the tree out to the backyard, he left behind a trail of pine needles and broken branches. Sharon followed behind him picking up the dead branches and by the time he returned she was vacuuming up the needles. With that task completed, they sprawled out lazily on the big leather couch in their family room to binge watch college football bowl games on their 65-inch TV, Andy's first purchase when they bought the house. With Rusty up in San Francisco enjoying the New Year festivities with Ricky and Tess, they didn't bother with supper, simply munched on cheesy nachos with guacamole while they watched the games.

Overall, 2018 had been a great year and with a new baby on the way, Ricky moving closer to home and a trip to Russia to watch Emily on tour at the Kirov and Bolshoi ballets looming ahead, 2019 looked like it might be even better.


End file.
